As if having erectile dysfunction (E.D.) isn’t hard enough, you may find that bringing it up with your doctor is even harder. Some men are comfortable talking about topics like this, while others find it a little more difficult to share these issues this with his doctor. Well, first you should know that you are not alone. Did you know that E.D. affects 50 percent of men over the age of 40?
It is important to talk to your doctor if you are experiencing trouble getting a full erection. Believe it or not, E.D. can be one of the earliest signs of atherosclerosis or other cardiovascular disease. It is common that men with E.D. will have other issues like diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure, and it may be no surprise that smoking may also interfere with erections.
Your doctor will need to determine through talking to you whether your E.D. is caused by a physiological condition or if it is caused by psychological factors. And, sometimes the medication you are on may be an attributing factor. Your doctor may decide that additional tests are needed to determine the cause. It is possible that you would need to have, at least, your testosterone and thyroid hormone levels checked. If low testosterone is a factor, then your doctor may want to consider testosterone supplementation. Testosterone can be supplemented in multiple ways: gels, injectables, or pellets, etc.
The good news is that there are multiple treatment options for erectile dysfunction. You are most likely familiar with first-line medications, like Viagra and Cialis, that support blood flow into the penis, but there are other options to consider if these do not work for you. Among these options are injectables and intra-urethral suppositories, and if these options are not helpful, then one can consider vacuum devices, penile implants, or even surgical intervention.
So, now that we’ve covered a little background on E.D., let’s get back to the main topic: How do you bring this up to your doctor?
While it may seem like an embarrassing topic, understand that this is a common topic that we discuss with patients on a daily basis (especially in our office where we see a lot of men). Some guys are uncomfortable because they aren’t sure what to say or how to bring it up or what words to use to describe the problem:
“I can’t get hard.”
“My hard-ons aren’t really that hard.”
“I think I have E.D.”
“My erections are not as hard as they used to be.”
Listen, we’ve heard it all. There’s no need to beat around the bush – let us know. We are here to help.
But, why is it important to even bring it up?
Erectile Dysfunction:
- Can be a symptom of something else more serious going on
- Can be treated… so, why suffer?
- Can be a side effect of a medication
- Can be linked to other medical treatments like prostate surgery or radiation therapy
- Can be linked to other less serious causes like stress, anxiety, or lack of sleep.
So, next time you are at your doctor’s appointment, if you are suffering from “problems in the bedroom” or “trouble getting it up,” talk to us about it. It may not be as hard as you think.